The following were read or spoken at Pop's homegoing
celebation. My part came first, then my older brother read a poem he and
our sister had written. Finally, our younger brother, who is proned to siezures,
stood and addressed all who had come. "To relate a favorite memory of my Pop is like trying to select a favorite drop of water from the ocean. Every facet of my life is effected by his influence.
When I think of Pop, the thing that stands out most
in my mind is his laugh. His smile and his laugh would light up any room.
When I told our daughter, Amy, what I was going to write about, she said,
"He never put it on. You could tell it was genuine because it always went
to his eyes." Pop's entire attitude toward life, and those he touched,
was the epitome of what a Christian should be. Anyone who talked with him
for five minutes felt he was their best friend. He never had a bad word
to say about anyone and always managed to find the good in everyone. Seeing
a true picture of my Heavenly Father has been easy for me, for it is very
close to the picture of Pop that I shall always carry in my heart.
I wrote this poem to honor the man I call:
Pop
When Jesus on the Earth walked,
And oft with His disciples talked.
He told of His Father, in Heaven above,
And of His endless, unbounded Love.
He told how His Spirit has testified,
And with our spirit has clearly cried,
That the One Who is a Loving Father to all,
Is Dad to us who are saved from the fall.
But there was another, who helped me see,
That the Father's Love would always be,
The one force that nothing could stop.
He was the one that I call Pop."
I went on to read the words to the following song. I hope it ministers to you, as it has us.
"If You Could See Me Now
by Truth
My prayers have all been answered, I've finally arrived.
The healing that had been delayed has now been realized.
No one's in a hurry. There's no schedule to keep.
We're all enjoying Jesus, just sitting at His feet.
If you could see me now, I'm walking streets of gold.
If you could see me now, I'm standing tall and whole.
If you could see me now, you'd know I've seen His face.
If you could see me now, you'd know the pain's erased.
You wouldn't want me to ever leave this place
If you could only see me now.
I love you Pop."
"Family Poem":
"Daddy"
written by Meredith Knepp Jr. and Angela Hagler
read by Meredith Jr.
"These qualities describe
The man we�re letting go;
They're typical of the Christian life
He loves the Lord, you know.
As a Christian, he was growing;
You can�t deny this fact.
And none could ever sing like him
His volume seldom lacked.
He always took good care of all
The church lawn and supplies.
The money came from his own means,
But that was no surprise.
As a friend, he was dependable
No distance was too far
To bring you things or take you there
Or help you fix your car.
He wasn�t always tactful
He said just what he thought
He never meant to hurt for long
It was not harm he sought.
As a brother, he was kind
And helped support his kin.
Eager to lend a helping hand -
That�s how he�s always been.
He amazed his family with his talents
The accordion, he played best.
By ear, he played all instruments -
A gift that he possessed.
As a husband, he was loving
And always faithful, too.
Whenever Mother did a thing,
He praised her through and through.
She always said, 'He can fix anything!'
To her, he was very strong.
He let us know he loved her;
That�s why we sing his song�
As a father, he was honest
And stern in all correction
'If you won�t do it right, don�t do it at all'
Was the theme of his direction!
'Daddy, can I go to work with you?'
He never seemed to mind.
And playing games like 'Ridie, Ridie, Gilie'
We always had a good time!
Say ONE good thing about him?
I just don�t think I could,
But, as our Mother put it,
'He was always good!!!!'"
Doug's Impromptu Blessing
"I'd like to thank you all for coming. And I want to thank the Lord
for allowing me to be here today. I nearly died this summer, but the Lord
brought me through and I was able to come here five weeks ago. I came here
in September, on Labor Day, and we were able to sing together. That's some
of the music you're listening to. I just thank the Lord that I was able
to be here then, because if I hadn't I don't think I could have handled this.
I think I would have just fallen apart. But, because I was here then, I
can do this today. Thank you."
